‘Pom Poko’ Blu-ray Review

If I told you I watched a movie about shape-shifting raccoon dogs that band together to save their homeland, you would probably assume I’m watching something that didn’t originate in the United States. You would be correct. Pom Poko (one of the many great Studio Ghibli titles) is a fantastic, yet often overlooked, 1994 film written by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and directed by the latter. The story is based on Japanese legend and received little reception stateside because of the extensive changes made throughout the movie.

Movie Itself

I’ll tell you right away, Pom Poko is an animated movie about the expanding city of Tokyo and the raccoon dogs (Tanuki) trying to stop that expansion by using their transformation (shape-shifting) abilities. There’s also a heavy narration that comes off very Wes Anderson-like. Overall, this movie is fantastic. Simply put, it might not be for everybody.

Pom Poko works in that it delivers a legendary tale, mixed with environmental awareness on the premise of being a whimsical and energetic animated film for the family. This isn’t Happy Feet, a strong movie that immediately shifts into a public service announcement. No–Pom Poko embraces its political undertones and lightly spreads them throughout, never pretending to be what it’s not. This formula finds a way to remind the developed world of environmental needs while also entertaining.

It doesn’t hurt that throughout the movie there is a narration and flow that gives this a bit of a Wes Anderson vibe. Although Anderson’s first short, Bottle Rocket, was out the same year, there appears to be an influence one way or the other or just a wild coincidence that makes this something his fans should see.

Pom Poko Review 1

The American voice acting in Pom Poko is some of the best I’ve heard from the Studio Ghibli conversions. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and J.K. Simmons are joined by (now) well known voice actors like John DiMaggio, Brian Posehn and many others. Each actor and actress’ voice lends well to their character and flows incredibly naturally.

Maybe the ease in this transition comes from the fact that the movie was adjusted for American audiences. The Japanese legends of Tanuki often refer to their scrotums; this was obviously the quickest thing to go when marketing a movie for all ages. The English translation refers to them as raccoons. The reason they don’t look exactly like raccoons is, they aren’t. Tanuki are obviously a different species, something that was common in Japanese legend and around the Tokyo area.

The movie itself is well paced and doesn’t focus too much on being an environmental documentary. It really does dive into the relationships of these creatures and pokes fun at what the Legends often referenced. Takahata does a great job staying true to the folklore and tradition while also creating a film perfect for a modern-day audience.

Of all the Studio Ghibli films out there, there are very few I haven’t seen. Until recently, Pom Poko was one of those. I’m glad I gave it a go, as the movie was more than enjoyable.

Pom Poko Review 2

Presentation

Much like the other Studio Ghibli releases this week, Pom Poko has a strong presentation in both the video and audio.

The Mpeg-4 1080p video codec for the film lends very well to the content onscreen. I can compare many of the other Studio Ghibli releases to their DVD counterparts, but, never seeing Pom Poko prior to this Blu-ray release, I can’t say how good an upgrade it is. I will say that fans will be pleased with the detail in the print as well as the use of color and shading to create depth. The image is never flat, and this two-dimensional animation feels very modern and deep. There is no microbanding or ghosting to be concerned about, and the colors do not appear to crush at all. Overall, this colorful palette shines in full HD and gives this movie some extra life.

The audio on Pom Poko is strong as well. The movie has an English dubbed lossless DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track and a 2.0 original Japanese track. Both are solid, but the release caters to the English version giving it a noticeable high definition bump. The upgrade is nice, and the speakers maintain a strong balance. If there is any complaint I have with this presentation for this release, it’s that the audio just isn’t consistently loud enough. Dialogue can be soft at times, however the narration never dips or interferes. Overall, this is a strong audio presentation.

Pom Poko Review 3

Extra Features

This shocked me a bit. The extra features on Pom Poko are somewhat lacking. If you read my Porco Rosso review from last week, I referenced how great Disney is in making sure their Studio Ghibli properties are packed with extra features.

The release does have both a DVD and Digital Copy on board. Other than that, you get the Original Japanese Storyboards (HD) and the Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer (HD). The DVD houses a few additions as well, but obviously all in SD and none of them new.

Final Thoughts

I have seen a number of the Studio Ghibli films, and Pom Poko is actually one I had missed out on prior to this release. I am glad I was able to visit it, as the movie is well done and entertaining. With the strong Blu-ray release Disney has here, it’s a no-brainer that this movie should be added to your collection.

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